Griffith Dance Studio
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Classes start September 12th
GDS Instructors
The director, Brea Griffith has more than 21 years of dance experience. She began taking lessons at the age of 3 in Kansas City, Kansas at June Neal Dance Studio. She later started taking lessons at Releve Dance Ensemble of Kansas City where she learned and mastered different techniques and styles of dance. They include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, point and African dance from the famous Alvin Ailey Dance Company. She would go on to teach lessons to her peers as well as younger children at the age of 14. Her passion and focus drove her to seek more from this activity as she dove deeper into the art of dance.
Brea, would go on to join her high school dance team called the Acadettes at Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences in Kansas City. She danced for 2 years with this program and decided that she would pursue a collegiate and professional career in dance. She auditioned and joined the Mystics Dance Team at the University of Missouri Western State College on scholarship.
She started her professional career at the end of that year by auditioning and joining the Gemstones at the Gem Theatre. There she performed each week at the theatre for thousands of people. She made time to continue to learn from the best by taking lessons at top studios in Los Angeles and attending conventions across the states hosted by the best. Dancing with the likes of Darren Henson, Dave Scott, Napoleon and Tabitha, Rhapsody and Wade Robeson.
She would go on to join the Unity Hip Hop Dance Team where after a year she became captain and held the position for 3 years. During her reign she took her team to competition and nationally recognized conferences. Brea would continue to share her gifts with others by teaching all ages at studios in the Kansas City area. Griffith currently teaches three hip hop classes and one competition hip hop class at Broadway Bound Dance Company in Loveland, CO. She is very passionate about the art of dance and wants to share her talents with the Denver community.
Kiarra Jenkins was born and raised in Kearney, Nebraska. She studied at Dance Works Studio in Nebraska. In her seven years of dancing at Dance Works, she performed in Dance Work's annual recital. Each year she would perform in four or more routines. Each routine was a different genre of dance including tap, jazz, ballet and pointe. During her time at Dance Works, she taught ballet and tap for age groups 2-4. In 2007, Kiarra began dancing for Cleo Parker Robinson where she then started taking Hip-Hop classes.
Her favorite genres of dance is ballet and pointe. Kiarra got into dance when she was five years old, when her mother found that she had a fascination for dance. Her favorite memory of dance would be the long rehearsals of going over choreography the night before her annual recitals. She believes that dance is a way to express herself while relieving stress. Her goal in dance is to stay fit, continue to express herself and teach others the ways of dance and expression.
Brea decided to start GDS when she moved to Denver and saw the need for the program in her neighborhood. She remembered the days that she would spend in the studio expressing herself though movements in each dance class. She believes that she can bless children with the same gift her teacher gave her. The gift to shine and be yourself while leaving it all on the dance floor. Dancing is her passion and it could be yours too. At GDC we’re passionate about making dancers great.
Dave Scott and Sedrick from the hit show
"So You Think You Can Dance"
UNITY Hip Hop Team
Director, Brea Griffith
Kiarra Jenkins, Dance Manager
Brea Griffith, Director
Alyssa is orgionally from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is starting her second year as a student at the University of Denver. Majoring in business Marketing. She considers herself to be motivated, hard working and optimistic. She is a member of the DU Dance Team. In high school she perfomed and choreographed for her high school dance team. They perfomed in front of large crowds and often won competitions. Alyssa's passions include leadership, community service and dance as she was in student council throughout high school and served as Senior Class President. She taught at summer dance camps and is looking forward to teaching dance to the students of GDS.
Alyssa Abbs,
Hip Hop & Tumbling Instructor
Shila Willson is from Cody Wyoming but has made Colorado her home for the last 27 years. She has been dancing since the age of two and her passion for it still lives on! She trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and most any other style of dance. Performing in many different productions and competitions during her early and late years. Her first years of College were attending Casper College in Casper as a education major, dance minor. She has taught at a few different local dance studios, for the last 15 years. During her time at the different studios she has taught Tap, Ballet and Jazz, ages 2-12.
She was a preschool teacher with Beck Preschool for 13 years and now is working with Kindergarten in Aurora Public Schools for the last 4 years. She teaches a Red Cross Childcare class for students ages 11-17 and also does children's cooking birthday parties. When not dancing or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching sports (go Broncos!), hiking and everything else outdoors. She is married and has 5 daughters whom all dance or teach dance, so you know what they are doing most of the time! She loves working with children and wants to thank you for sharing your children with her!
Shila Wilson, Ballet Instructor